Normally, if you get sent off against your bitterest rivals, you would come off as being the villain. However, Mohamadou Kante has almost achieved legendary status for his performance in the 2-2 draw against Millwall.
It was Kante's goal from range that sparked West Ham's comeback from two goals down. It was also Kante's mistake that led to Kyrell Lisbie being through on goal. However, Kante made amends by taking one for the team in pulling Lisbie down that got the West Ham player shown a red card.
The Hammers will miss Kante for the match with Queens Park Rangers after the international break. He is predominantly a defensive midfielder, but has starred in attacking roles this season. He has scored three goals in eight Championship matches so far.
Last season, Kante played just 11 times in the Premier League as the Hammers were relegated. His performances this season have shown that he was underused in the top flight. He joined West Ham from Paris FC, and there was talk over the summer of him returning to France with Olympique de Marseille.
Mohamadou Kante deserves a new contract at West Ham
Kante could be set to stay at West Ham for the long term now. Roshane Thomas of The Athletic has reported that "West Ham United plan on offering Mohamadou Kante another improved contract further to reflect his standing in the squad.."
The midfielder has been a model professional recently. There were no extensive transfer rumours about him leaving over the summer. This happened with the likes of Edson Alvarez and Soungoutou Magassa. They both failed to secure transfers away and have not been integrated back into West Ham's squad for matchdays.
Kante has got his head down, worked hard, and is reaping the rewards for this. There will be comparisons to his namesake, N'Golo Kante. The former Leicester City and Chelsea star was also born in Paris and has similar midfield qualities. He is now 35 and still went to the World Cup last summer with France despite his club football now being in Turkey with Fenerbahçe. However, he was not included in Zinedine Zidane's recent squad.
The West Ham player is only 21 and has yet to represent France at any level. He is also of Senegalese descent, so he is also eligible to play for the African side. Right now, Kante's focus will be on helping West Ham out of the Championship and back to the Premier League.
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